Five or Less!

Five Recipes with 5 Ingredients or Less

Is it possible to have interesting, layers of flavor with five ingredients or less? YES!

I know I get a little involved sometimes. This idea actually came about the morning after--after I spent the previous day in the kitchen preparing a fairly elaborate (involved) meal. We were at the coast with the seafood market only a two minute bike ride away--the next thing I knew my Numero Uno (daughter) helper in the kitchen and her husband, also a great cook, and I were in the kitchen with a pound of fresh shrimp. We made two dishes and crostini in the time it took to cook pasta--less than 30 minutes--and honestly, it may have been better than the meal I worked so hard on the day before.

(I'm not counting salt and pepper in my ingredients!)

So, here they are: 5 recipes, each with 5 ingredients or less:

Garlic Shrimp

1) 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2) 1 T extra virgin olive oil

3) 3 garlic cloves, minced

4) 1/2 tsp. dried red chili flakes-or to taste

5) 1 cup dry white wine

Salt to taste

Add olive oil to medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chili flakes, and cook just until garlic is softened, 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for about two minutes, or until shrimp just begins to turn pink. Finally, add wine and cook until reduced to half. Season with salt to taste.

Serve with pasta, crostini, or just a spoon!

Garlic Tomatoes and Brie

1) six garlic cloves, chopped, or less according to taste

2) 2 T extra virgin olive oil

3) 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

4) 1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

5) 16 oz. Brie, cut into small pieces (don't remove outside)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add olive oil to medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook just until softened, about 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stirring, and cook until tomatoes are warmed through and beginning to change shape.

Combine brie and basil chiffonade in serving bowl. Pour hot tomatoes and garlic over cheese, and stir to combine, letting the brie soften in the warm sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over pasta, with crostini, or again, with a spoon!

Crostini

1) 1 fresh baguette cut into half inch slices

2) 1 stick butter, melted

3) 1 T mixed Italian dried herbs

4) 1 tsp. garlic salt

Arrange bread slices on a sheet pan. Mix melted butter, dried herbs and garlic salt. Brush each crostini with melted butter mix and place in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about ten minutes, just until crostini begin to brown, and become crisp.

Flat-leaf Parsley Pasta

1) 1 lb. campanelle pasta (or your favorite pasta), cooked in salted water and drained (reserve 1 cup cooking liquid)

2) 2 T butter

3) 2 garlic cloves, minced

4) 1/3 cup chopped Flat-leaf parsley (or your favorite herb, ie Thyme or Sage)

5) grated Parmesan Cheese

Add butter to medium sized skillet over medium heat. When melted, add garlic and cook just until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add parsley cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add drained pasta, and enough of the reserved pasta water to loosen the pasta. Garnish with Parmesan cheese to taste.

Serve as is, with Garlic Tomatoes and Brie, or Garlic Shrimp.

Sgroppino

1) 2 pts. fresh strawberries, sliced (Set aside a few slices for garnish.)

2) 1/2 cup sugar

3) 1 chilled bottle Prosecco

4) 3 pts. lemon sorbetto, frozen

Add sugar to sliced strawberries and set aside.

Pulse one cup of chilled Prosecco with half the sorbetto in blender just until combined, then add half the berries and pulse again (You want this to stay icy. May have to add a cube or two of crushed ice.)

Pour into festive glasses and top with just a bit of Prosecco and a strawberry slice.

Repeat with remaining ingredients when ready for another glass.